


I Have Loved You For A Thousand(Twenty Five) Years

by kleelizabeth



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Swearing, flashback of drunk driving, i never know what to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:08:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kleelizabeth/pseuds/kleelizabeth
Summary: Basically me projecting myself into the story of JATPOC Charlotte Allen(Lottie) is dating Luke in 1995 and she dies on the same night as the boys. Follows canon, for the most part.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	I Have Loved You For A Thousand(Twenty Five) Years

_ 1995 _ . After years of hard work, building up their reputation, Sunset Curve was finally getting their big break. They were playing the Orpheum tonight and if their soundcheck was any indication of how their show would go, they were going to absolutely kill it. The last notes of “Now or Never” rang out and the boys bowed, prompting applause from myself and Rose, the waitress I met as the boys were setting up their equipment. 

“Thanks,” Reggie pointed at us, “We’re Sunset Curve.” 

“Tell your friends,” I leaned over to Rose, finishing Reggie’s catchphrase. After the boys had finished whatever they were talking about on the stage, Bobby jumped off, sauntering over to where Rose and I stood, the others following closely behind.  _ Oh god, they’re gonna flirt with her, aren’t they?  _ I looked over at Alex and he gave me a look and I knew he was thinking the same thing. After Rose complimented them, Bobby gave his opening remarks, I jumped off the barstool I was sitting on and headed backstage. I started rummaging through the pile of stuff that was on the floor of the dressing room the band was given at the Orpheum. You would’ve thought we were moving in what with all the bags and clothes spilling out. Finally, I found my discman and put my headphones on, instantly singing along to the song that was playing. I didn’t notice that I was no longer alone.

“Shit. Don’t scare me like that” Luke was leaning on the door post, a wide smile spreading on his lips, his eyes were intense as they bore into my soul. God, why did he have to look so good all the time?

“So when are you gonna join us on stage?”

“Um, never. I’m more of a private singer.”

He gave a cheeky smile, walking towards me, his eyes still locked on me. “Yeah, I know. You’ve sung me a lot of lullabies.” I was sitting on the couch in the dressing room and he lowered his forehead to meet mine.

“Please get your gross, sweaty forehead off of me.” I reached up and gave him a playful push on his chest.

“Oh come on, Lottie. I know you find me irresistible like this.”

“Nope,” I replied, placing a pop sound on the “p.”

He was suddenly very close to my face and I could feel his breath. “You’re really bad at lying.” His eyes flicked down to my lips for a second or two, then back up to my eyes, and then bit his lip when he found what he was looking for.

“I hate you.” I grabbed his tattered  _ Rush  _ cutoff and pulled him closer to me and our lips met. He pushed deeper, intensifying the kiss. It didn’t last long, as I felt Luke reluctantly pull away.

“Ok...wow. As much as I enjoyed that, I promised the boys street dogs.”

“Ugh, really? Luke, those things are gonna kill you guys.”

“They’ve been fine so far. Besides, tonight is a big night and I’m not gonna do anything stupid. Wanna come?”

“No thank you. I don’t wanna die tonight. But go, have fun with your boys. I’ll be here.” There was that perfect smile again. 

“You better be.” His smile faltered a little and he looked down at his shoes.  _ Was Luke nervous? He never got nervous. _ “Um, Lottie…”

“Luke, is everything ok?” I shot up from the couch, my hands flying to his face.

“Charlotte Allen…”  _ Why was he using my full name? _

“Luke, you’re scaring me.” 

“I’m sorry. You know I’m not good with words, but...I’m really happy right now, ‘cause I’m here with my friends and we're playing the  _ fucking Orpheum _ and I’m with you...and you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and you’re beautiful, talented, and…” He leaned into my touch, mirroring me by placing his hands on my face.

“Luke, where are you dude?” Alex’s voice cut Luke off and soon the blond was outside the dressing room, Reggie following him. “Oh...have we interrupted something?”

Luke and I looked at each other. “Yes,” “No,” we both responded, confusion on both our faces, our hands dropping. Obviously, Luke needed to tell me something, but he hadn’t said anything he hadn’t said before so I thought maybe nothing was going on.

“Ok,” Reggie stretched the word out longer than it had to be. “Luke, still up for street dogs?”

“Yeah.” He hesitated looking away, but when he did, he gave his bandmates a slight smirk. “Bobby still flirting with Rose?” Alex and Reggie nodded.  
“Oh thanks by the way for leaving me alone to watch that, Lottie.” Alex gave me the stink eye. “Reggie was almost as bad as Bobby.” I stuck out my tongue and gave him a little giggle.

“You’re so damn cute.” Luke tugged on my waist and pecked my lips before bounding over to Reggie and Alex.

“You too.” I blew him a kiss, his hands clutching his heart.

“I love you Lottie. I love you so fucking much.”  _ Wait...what? He loves me. Shit! Say something...Why aren’t you saying anything? _

“Luke…”

“We’ll talk later. It’s ok.” He looked hurt, but still managed a small smirk. I sat back down on the couch, still not knowing how to react, playing those three words over and over in my mind. The sound of sirens snapped me back to reality and before I knew it, I was outside the Orpheum, watching a team of paramedics wheeling three teenage boys into an ambulance…

✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻

It had been 25 years since I died. It’s not really something I’d like to relive, so whenever a lifer would ask me about it, I tried to respectfully decline. I’d like to just walk away, but Caleb said I had to interact with the guests. It was part of my contract. I was his back-up singer, ever since he picked me up on the same road I...nevermind. Like I said, don’t really wanna relive that. Whatever, I was beyond thrilled to have the chance to sing again, not that anyone really noticed me up on stage. Caleb was a very big personality. But I didn’t mind, I always preferred to be in the background, supporting others. Music made me feel alive and as long as I was singing, I didn’t care. Being here, singing again, it was cathartic, and 1995 became a distant memory. 

“Hey Willie, do you mind if I run my number by you tonight? It’s a new song Caleb wants me to try, but I’m still a little shaky on it.”

“You’re gonna kill it. I heard you guys practicing last night. It sounded amazing. You always do.”  
“You’re just saying that cause you’re a nice person.” I looked down and noticed the skateboard and helmet in Willie’s hands. I gave him a sly smile. “Going to meet your boyfriend? When am I gonna meet him?”

Willie, averting his gaze from me, smiled a little. “I mean...we haven’t talked about labels yet. He’s a great guy. I really like him. Wait, hold on, do you wanna come now? I was gonna head out to meet him.”

“Yes! Let me just run over my song once more and then I’ll meet you! Where are you going?”

“The park. See you there!” He waved goodbye as he headed for the door. I poofed into my dressing room, taking out sheet music for my song tonight and sang until I heard a knock on my door. 

“Come in,” I said. Caleb walked in, ornately dressed as ever. He started clapping.  
“I swear you get better every day.”

“Thanks Caleb. You really think it sounded good? This one is a little tricky.”

“No, you did fantastic. Would I lie to you?”

“No, of course not. Well, if you think it sounded alright then I guess…”

“Lottie, you’re an absolute star. I knew it the moment I heard you sing. They’ll love you.” He always knew exactly what to say. I had been with Caleb for five years now. Even though I died 25 years ago, I was kind of just...waiting for something to happen. I went to this weird dark room for what felt like a couple minutes, and then I just appeared at the last place I was before I died. No idea why or how. But Caleb took me in. I was so scared so I started singing, not caring who heard(apparently no one did, cause, ya know, ghost), but then he showed up, offering me a place to stay and the opportunity to sing, two things I very much needed. He never pressured me, didn’t even need to know my story. I eventually told him everything because I knew I could trust him. He gave me an extravagant (after)life and what more could a (dead)girl ask for? 

“I actually came in here to talk to you about the song. Change of plans. Remember the song you were singing when I found you? Let’s do that one.”

“That one? Why? We never even rehearsed it together.”  _ And it’s a song I wrote about my dead boyfriend and I don’t really like thinking about him being dead because he had so much to live for and I don’t think I can physically bring myself to sing that song _ .

Almost sensing my internal rambling, he laughed. Placing a calming hand on my shoulder, he said, “Oh no, I will not be singing. Just you, my dear. You’ve been in the background long enough.” I was shocked. No one except Caleb sang solo. I tried to thank him, but was also incredibly worried. I had performed in front of people, but I was just a back-up singer. No one actually cared or looked at me.

“I’m gonna need to practice.” I poofed out of the club, the park and Willie on my mind.

I saw Willie skating away from three boys. I couldn’t see their faces as they poofed away, but there was something familiar about them. Their clothes looked like they were from the 90s. God, I missed the 90s. I couldn’t reminisce for long, forgetting about Willie until he almost ran into me.

“Lottie, you good?” I must’ve still had my shocked expression from my conversation with Caleb. All I could muster was a head nod and a small smirk. “You sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He thought he was so funny.

“You’re an idiot. No, I’m not ok. Well, sorta. Caleb wants me to perform tonight by myself.”

“No way! Lottie, that’s amazing! You’re gonna kill it!”

“He wants me to sing the song I was singing when he found me, the one I wrote about my boyfriend.”

“Oh, Lottie, that’s…”

“Yeah. I haven’t sang it since that day, haven’t even thought about it, about him really. It’s just hard. Like really fucking hard.” I wanted to cry, I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. Can ghosts even cry? Well I guess I was about to find out. “Oh my god, wait...Willie, I missed meeting your boyfriend!” It was a distraction, but also I was genuinely upset I missed meeting the boy Willie spent almost every spare moment with.

“Good news, he’s coming to the club tonight. Looks like he picked a good night. Also, still not my boyfriend.” He giggled and I realized how incredibly lucky not only that Caleb found me but that I found a friend like Willie. “Now come on, you got a song to rehearse. I’ll be there with you the whole time.” He took my hand and squeezed it tight. We shared tender smiles with each other as we poofed back to the club. Tonight was going to be interesting for sure.

“Willie,” I poked my head out of my dressing room, scanning the hallways for my friend. He was nowhere to be found. A stagehand passed by and I ushered him over to me. “Any sign of Willie?” 

“Yeah, I saw him talking to Caleb about some guests he brought tonight.” Guests? I assumed Willie asked his “not-boyfriend” on a date here, but he brought friends? Weird. Wait, what was his name? Something with A? Better remember, don’t wanna look like an asshole when I get introduced to him. 

It was almost time for me to go on stage and Willie hadn’t come to visit me once. So much for being there for me. He was probably preoccupied with...Alex! That was his name! I remember my Alex. He was the sweetest, logical one of Sunset Curve, and gave amazing hugs. Focus, Lottie, focus.

“Ready?” Caleb poofed into my dressing room, extended his arm to escort me to the stage, a normal occurrence. “You look incredible.” I giggled and gave him a little twirl, the sparkly dark purple skirt of my dress flaring up. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” I responded, taking his extended arm as he led me along. We stopped in the wings and he stooped down to kiss my cheek. “This is where I leave you. Knock them dead.”

“Some of them are already dead.” I replied back. He laughed.

“You’re right.” He turned to face me. “Remember, always…”

“Leave them wanting more. I know.” He put his hands on my shoulders and nodded. A thought popped into my head as I looked out at the stage. “Hey Caleb, why’d you decide on this song?” Before he could answer, my introduction rang out. 

“A special treat for you all. Please welcome to the stage, Charlotte Allen.” I was met with thunderous applause, even some standing ovations before I even opened my mouth. I could have sworn I heard Willie the loudest. Caleb probably hyped them up for me, since no one really knew who I was except for the club’s staff. I scanned the room, saw many regulars, a couple new faces. I nodded to the house band, the first note breathing life back into me, but also incredible nervousness took over. This was the first time I had ever sang by myself in front of a crowd.

_ Heart beats fast, colors and promises _

_ How to be brave, how can I love when I’m afraid to fall? _

_ But watching you stand alone all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow _

_ One step closer _

_ I have died every day waiting for you _

_ Darling, don’t be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years _

_ I’ll love you for a thousand more _

I looked out onto the dance floor and noticed a few couples starting to dance around. I looked further out, seeing if anymore would come, but my vision was directed at a silhouette standing at a table at the edge of the dance floor. I thought nothing of it, probably waiting for a partner to dance with. I continued.

_ Time stands still beauty in all she is _

_ I will be brave _

_ I will not let anything take away what’s standing in front of me _

It moved closer

_ Every breath _

_ Every hour has come to this _

_ One step closer _

With that line, I challenged the silhouette to move, but I wish I hadn’t. The silhouette revealed itself to be a shaggy-haired punk, with cuffed black pants, scruffed up sneakers, an old band shirt and I was honestly surprised to see sleeves on it, although the shirt was still tight on his chest, showing off his abs, and he wore a long tattered jacket. He looked like a rock-star.  _ Luke. _

_ I have died every day waiting for you _

_ Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years _

_ I’ll love you for a thousand more more _

He was directly in front of the stage, staring at me with a passive expression, but I could feel his eyes drinking me in. This was even harder than I thought it was going to be.

_ And all along I believed I would find you _

_ Time has brought your heart to me _

_ I have loved you for a thousand years _

_ I’ll love you for a thousand more _

_ One step closer _

He jumped up on the stage

_ One step closer _

He reached for my hand, his face inches from mine, his face asking a thousand questions.

_ I have died every day waiting for you _

_ Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years _

_ I’ll love you for a thousand more _

_ And all along I believed I would find you _

_ Time has brought your heart to me  _

_ I have loved you for a thousand years _

_ I’ll love you for a thousand more _

The ending notes played and I thought he couldn’t get any closer, but as his lips brushed against mine, I ran offstage.

✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻

“Did you know?” Caleb’s arms were extended to me as I walked into the wings. I ignored them, my arms crossed my chest waiting for an answer.

“Such hostility. But also, such chemistry. Couldn’t have planned it better myself.”

“So you did know. That’s why you wanted me to sing tonight? You exploited me for what, patronage? Fuck you!”

“Now, Charlotte, that’s no way to talk in front of guests.” Caleb was looking over my shoulder and I could feel eyes on me. 

“Lottie?” The voice, so familiar, now seemed so strange to me. 

“Luke?” He started towards me again, but I put my hands out in protest. I didn’t know him anymore. He still looked like that 17 year old, the one who I saw...no I can’t relive that memory again. He stopped moving towards me, thank God.

“Well, I have some business to take care of. Take some time to catch up. I know it’s been a long time.” Caleb, in passing me, stooped down again, placing another kiss on my cheek and whispered “Congratulations” in my ear. He shook Luke’s hand, introducing himself, and then looked back at me, giving me a smirk as he stepped on stage.

“Can we go somewhere to talk.” Luke had stayed where he was, but began fidgeting. Wow, 25 years and he still couldn’t stand still.

Against my better judgement, I nodded and motioned for him to follow me. I was nervous, but I didn’t know why. This was Luke. I had known him all my life. We had seen each other at our lowest points, rejoiced with each other when we succeeded. I knew everything that happened between him and his parents. I knew this boy as well as myself, probably even more than myself. I know Luke Patterson, but this boy I had known 25 years ago and could he possibly still be my Luke?

“What the fuck is happening?” He blurted out as soon as I closed my dressing room door. “You died? When? How? Lottie what...you were fucking incredible. You look…” He looked me up and down, and I swear I blushed. “Lottie, it’s me. Come on, it’s me.” He tentatively took a few steps towards me. I had moved to the chair at my vanity, giving him a wary look, and thankfully, he kept a respectable distance.

“I can’t do this. I watched your body being taken away. I told you to stay away from those fucking hot dogs…” I was hysterical and although I had no breath, I felt like I was losing it. 

“Hey...hey, Lottie I’m so sorry you had to see that. I’m so sorry I put you through that.” He wrapped his arms around me, as I hugged my knees, my face buried in my lap.

“I kept pushing your memory away because it hurt too much.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.” He unwrapped himself from me and grew rigid. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how’d you die?”

“Oh...um, drunk driver.”

“Ok, so still a bad liar after 25 years. Glad to know not much has changed.”

“It was my dad. He was drunk. Therefore, drunk driver. Happy now?”

“Shit Lottie. I knew he was unstable but I never thought…”

“Um, I kinda hate talking about it, so let’s move on.”

“Yeah,” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “Happy 25 years, babe.”

“What?”

“Technically, we never broke up, so...happy 25th anniversary.”

“Oh my God, you’re an idiot. What did I ever see in you?”

“We both know you started dating me because of my arms and my music.” He muttered under his breath.

“Shut the fuck up, Patterson.” 

“All joking aside, you did amazing tonight. I’ve never heard that song before. Is it a cover?

“No. I wrote it. About you.”

_ 3 AM and I was woken up by a tapping on my window. Half asleep, I stumbled over to the sound. When I opened my window, I wasn’t shocked to see Luke waiting outside. _

_ “If you’re gonna sneak out, can you do so at a more reasonable hour. Some of us have to get up for school.” He didn’t say anything, just stood there, fumbling with his fingers. “Luke, what happened?” I wrapped my arms around him and he reciprocated, holding on to me like his life depended on it, his face buried deep in my neck. Then, he broke down. He started shaking, his breath heavy and uneven, and I could feel his hot tears on my skin. “Hey, Luke. Come sit. Talk to me.” I gently lifted his face, taking one of his hands and led him toward my bed. We sat down and his head immediately fell to my shoulder. _

_ “I can’t go back. This was it. I said the most awful things to her.” _

_ “Luke, she’ll forgive you. She loves you. You can always go back.” He shook his head. _

_ “No. It was bad, Lottie. She threatened to take away my guitar. She said I had to go back to school, that she would find a way to force me to go. I told her she was being a bitch, that she couldn’t force me to do anything. I told her I hated her, that I didn’t need her for anything. So, I ran away.” He started shaking again. _

_ “I know you didn’t mean any of that. Tensions were high, you can still go back.” He jerked back. _

_ “You’re not listening. I  _ cannot  _ go back! You’re making excuses for her! You’re supposed to be on my side.” _

_ “Hey, quiet. My parents are down the hall. They’ll kill us both if they knew you were here.” He huffed out an annoyed breath, about to protest, but I continued on. “You’re so full of pride and bullshit, Patterson. To think I’m not on your side, that’s fucking stupid. But also know your mom and I know she’s killing herself thinking about your conversation with you. Listen, I’m not going to tell you what to do, but give her the benefit of the doubt. You haven’t ever been the perfect child and she’s put up with a lot of your shit. And don’t ever tell me again I’m not on your side. You need to understand that people care about you. Your mom, Alex, Reggie, Bobby, and most importantly, me.” I laid my head on his shoulder, his arm around my waist, pulling me into a side hug. _

_ “And this is why I love you. Thanks for calling me out on my shit.” _

_ I pushed myself away from him, my body tensing up. “Love. You love me?” _

_ Luke gave no indication of regret, no wide eyes of surprise that he said it, but instead pure adoration as he looked at me. “Yeah. I love you. Is that ok?” My mind was running a mile a minute, thinking of all the things I could say. I cared about him so much, but love? That was a lot. I thought of a million things I could say or do, and finally I decided on one. I placed my hand on Luke’s shirt, pushing him so he was laying on his back on my bed. _

_ “Yes. Very ok.” And I kissed him. A lot. And he kissed me back. A lot. I fell down beside him, his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me deeper in the kiss. My hand was fisted around his shirt, enjoying every moment of the taste of him. I don’t know how long the kissing lasted, but eventually, we had to catch our breaths.  _

_ “Lottie,” his voice was hoarse. _

_ “Just hold me. Just being here with you...it’s perfect.” His smile lit up his face. _

_ “C’mere. I got you.” Our foreheads were pressed together, my hands on his chest, his arm around my waist, as the other hand played with strands of hair that were spread out on my pillow. “You’re beautiful, Lottie.” I hummed in response, pecking his lips before I drifted off to sleep. _

_ “Luke, I swear to god if you don’t get out of my bed right now, my mom is going to find you and she’s gonna kill me.” _

_ He mumbled into my hair. “No. It’ll be fine.” _

_ “Yes, because every mom loves finding her seventeen year old daughter in bed a boy.” I turned my face toward him, as I was greeted with a sleepy smile and loving eyes. His arm was tightly around my waist, and he pulled me closer as he rested his forehead on mine. _

_ “I think I really like waking up with you.” _

_ “Luke, this is nice, but seriously, my mom is going to come through my door any second and she doesn’t knock.” He kissed my nose, which I then scrunched up. _

_ “I’ll go, but it’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” I laid my head on his chest, tracing the veins on his arms, placing a small kiss on his exposed skin on his neck. I felt him shudder. _

_ “You’re making this even harder for me.” _

_ “You can always come back. I know your parents and you...You mean so much to me Luke.” _

_ “Thank you.” He placed a kiss on top of my head. “I’ll see you later tonight. Have a good day at school.” I felt him starting to move underneath me, moving my head so he could leave the bed. Putting his discarded flannel back on, I watched him, a smile never leaving my face. Smiling back at me, he leaned down, giving me one passionate kiss before he snuck out my bedroom window. Still on an emotional high, I grabbed the notebook by my bed, and started writing down lyrics. They flowed so easily, my pen knowing exactly what needed to be said. _

_ Heart beats fast, colors and promises... _

Luke had his arms wrapped around my waist, his forehead on mine. I had my hands cupped on his cheeks.  
“Luke…” He answered me with a hum. “Please kiss me.” 

There was that full face smile again. “If I have to.” 

✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻

Luke, upon hearing the doorknob twisting on my dressing room door, bolted upright as his bandmates and Willie walked into my dressing room. His hair was shaggier than usual,  _ almost as if someone’s hands had been messing it up on purpose _ . I watched Alex and Reggie’s eyes follow the trail to the couch. It started with my heels, which I kicked off as I soon I walked in the room, then Luke’s balled up jacket, then his shirt. His eyes were wide, as he started scrambling, me laughing at the embarrassed boy before me. 

“Nothing happened. I swear.” He grabbed his shirt and fumbled with it as he stretched it over his head.

“You say that as if we can’t see the hickey on your neck. Didn’t even know ghosts could get those still.” Luke stared at Alex, mouth agape. “Nice to see you again, Lottie. Well, all things considered.”

“Alex!” I wrapped my arms around the drummer, giggling as he squeezed me. “Still give the best hugs. I’ve missed them.”

“Hey,” Luke piped up from behind us, “what about my hugs?”

“You always poke or tickle me. Shut up and let me say hi to these doofuses or no more kisses for you.” Well that oughta shut him up. 

“I’ve missed you,” Reggie said, scooping me up in a bear hug.

“Aw, Reg, I’ve missed you too! So street dogs…”

“Hey, I tried to tell them.” Alex put up his hands as if he was surrendering.

“You, I’ll let it slide, cause you met Willie and I’ve never seen him happier.” Alex blushed. “But you two,” I say pointing to Reggie and Luke, “I stand by my previous stance that you’re idiots.”

“I can’t believe you know Lottie, hotdog!”

“He calls you ‘hotdog?!’ You two are the cutest!” Luke slinked over to my side, leaving not even an inch between us, slinging his arm around my waist. He leaned in close to my ear, his breath tickling me.

“I could come up with a cute nickname for you too.” I even missed his cheesy pick-up lines.

I reciprocated his movements. “Don’t embarrass yourself by trying to be smooth.” I kissed his cheek and he pretended to be wounded, placing a clutching hand over his heart.

“Oh crap, guys what time is it?” Reggie looked at us with a panicked expression.

“Got somewhere to be, Reg? Didn’t realize ghosts had appointments?” I laughed, looking over at Luke, who didn’t join in, but was sharing the same expression as Reggie. I looked at Alex, who also looked worried.

“Julie.” They all said at once.  
“Who’s Julie?” I shot Luke a concerned look.

“I will explain everything, but right now, we really have to go. Please trust me.” Alex and Reggie poofed out, Luke lingered. He took my hand, kissed the back of it and smiled. “You were incredible tonight.” He grabbed my waist, kissing my lips intensely. “At everything. I love you.” He poofed out, leaving Willie and I.  _ 25 years and I still hadn’t said it back to him. I was the worst. _

“Willie, has Alex mentioned a Julie?” 

“Yeah, but it sounds like Luke wanted to explain it to you." He started fumbling with his fingers, but I couldn't pinpoint what was making him nervous. He started rambling again. "I think I’d just make you mad and you would start over-thinking everything. Besides, I need to go check on something.” He poofed out before I could respond. That didn’t stop me from screaming out “Too late. Already over-thinking it!” Julie. Who was Julie? __

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It had been days since I heard from Luke. Willie had been avoiding Alex and although Willie barely talked to me, I knew something happened the night Sunset Curve came back into my life. I tried to get some answers out of Caleb, but doors were always closing in my face or he would poof away, saying he had somewhere to be. I had always trusted Caleb, but I had a gut feeling he did something to the boys that he shouldn’t have. 

There was still the matter of this “Julie” person. Was she planning something with Caleb? Was she a witch and placed some spell on the boys? Maybe Caleb was trying to figure out a way to stop her? Was she a ghost, with a better voice than me? What if Luke had found someone to replace me?  _ Did she love Luke? Did he love her?  _ God, I wish I had never sang that song. I wish Luke Patterson had never joined me on stage. I wished he hadn’t kissed me over and over…

“Willie!” With a quick glance, the skater turned my way and I poofed over to him before he could get away. “Take me to see Luke. I know you’ve been sneaking out to see Alex, despite having permission from Caleb. And I know there’s something you’re not telling me about that night. Tell me.” He sighed.

“Come on, but you won’t like it. We have to be fast.” He grabbed my hand and we appeared in front of a garage, but hid in the bushes watching the three ghosts in the driveway. Luke, Alex, and Reggie were playing basketball, talking about something, I couldn’t really hear. But suddenly, Reggie threw the ball to Luke and the three of them grasped their stomachs as bolts of lightning struck them. Willie gave me a concerned look, then motioned for me to follow him.

“You guys are in serious trouble,” Willie announced. 

“Willie,” Alex, gasped.

“Lottie,” Luke breathed, stumbling over to me.

“Willie, what’s happening to them?” I met Luke half way, even though the distance between us wasn’t huge, I could tell he was in pain. I wrapped him in my arms, dug my face into his neck, and I could tell he was weak. I looked up and shot concerned looks at Reggie and Alex, sensing their pain too.

“We need to talk.” We all nodded and poofed onto Hollywood Boulevard. 

Willie explained the whole thing. Apparently, after the boys left the club, Caleb gave the boys a stamp that would end them if they did not join his house band. However, as Willie explained, they could be free of Caleb and cross over if they did their unfinished business.

“So, we either join Caleb’s band, cross over, or essentially die again from these jolts?” Luke asked. “And no matter what, we have to say goodbye to Julie?” Willie nodded.

I hadn’t said a word this whole time. Up until now, I had completely trusted Caleb, believing he was a good man. I hated that he put these stamps on the boys. Hated that they might cross over. Hated that Luke would leave me again. But then, her name came up again. “Sorry, I know this is all very serious, but will someone please tell me who Julie is?” I said someone, but Luke knew I meant him.

“Make it fast,” Willie said, “Caleb will notice we’re gone.”

Luke grabbed my hand and took me away from the group. “Julie is a lifer. No one can see us but her, but when we play music with her, people can see us. When we play with her, we feel alive again. She’s had a rough year, and I’d like to think we helped her as much as she helped us.” He looked down at my hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. “She doesn’t compare to you, Lottie. I hope you know that. I’m beyond happy you’re back in my life. I did want to come back and see you, but Caleb...we were worried about what he would do to us next.” His free hand cups my cheek and I nod, understanding his words, but also incredibly hurt at being lied to by the one person who had been kind to me since I came back to the world. But, I knew I could always trust Luke.

“Dude,” Alex rushes over, pointing at a sign. “The Orpheum, our unfinished business.” Another jolt shot through them. “It took us years to get there.”

“We don’t have years.” Luke looked worried. 

“Luke, what if you guys…”

“Lottie, we gotta go.” Willie grabbed my hand and the next thing I knew we were back in the club.

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“Willie, do you want to be here? Like, do you still want to work for Caleb?” 

“No. He’s manipulative and he’s hurting our friends. Lottie, do you know how he gets ghosts and lifers to come here?”

“A fee?” It felt silly coming out of my mouth, but I didn’t know how else to respond. Or rather, I knew exactly how to respond, I just hoped I was wrong.

“He takes their soul, or at least part of it. He owns every single person that comes into this room, us included. It was no accident he found you 5 years ago. It’s no coincidence you sang that song on stage and Luke happened to be in the audience. He’s wanted the band since Julie played their CD and they came back, maybe even before that! Lottie, I’m sorry.”

The world came crashing down. Everything was a lie again. Another man lying and manipulating me.

_ All the fans lined up outside the Orpheum had gone home. Teenage girls were screaming, crying at the deaths of their idols. Some of the fans, the ones who had been with the boys from the beginning, recognized me and checked in with me, but my throat was sore and my eyes were blurry that I couldn’t even respond to them, let alone see them. I just nodded. Suddenly, Bobby was next to me. He sat down next to me on the sidewalk. He put an arm around my shoulder, and although I didn’t know him as well as the other three, I was glad he was there. We shed many tears together. _

_ “Um, do you need a ride home? Or somewhere? Um, Luke told me a little about your dad...” _

_ “No,” I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. “I called a friend. She should be here soon. I just...need a minute.” A lie. And the tears began flowing again. _

_ “Ok.” Bobby got up. “I think Luke would want you to be ok and I think he’d kill me...um...be mad at me if I didn’t take care of you, I guess. So, let me know if you need anything.” I was grateful for the gesture, but again, I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded. _

_ I didn’t know how long it had been since Bobby left, but suddenly there was a truck with blinding headlights turning onto the street of the Orpheum. I could see my dad in the truck.  _

_ “Lottie, come get in this car now!” My dad called out, shouting out the passenger’s window. _

_ “Are you drunk? You shouldn’t be driving. You should have told me when I called. I could’ve walked home.” _

_ “Stop being a little shit.” I could only see his silhouette. “Where’s your screw-up of a boyfriend?” I didn’t want to cry. Do I even tell him Luke died? Would he even care? _

_ “Finally broke up with you, huh? Finally came to his senses.” I didn’t have the strength to fight with him tonight. The headlights hadn’t turned off once, but now the silhouette jumped down from the seat of the truck, rounded the front of the car, and walked towards me. Before I knew it, my dad had grabbed my hair and started pulling me towards the truck. I screamed, but didn’t put up much of a fight. My dad, even drunk off his ass, was freakishly strong and my body was such a state of shock that I couldn’t move even if I tried.  _

_ I sat up front with him as he drove him, swerving on and off the road. We didn’t live far from the Orpheum, but my dad was obviously confused, taking multiple wrong turns, making for a very long drive home. _

_ “You’re gonna kill us,” I spoke, my voice hoarse. I had done a lot of screaming and crying tonight. “Dad, please pull over. Let me drive.” I paused. I wasn’t in a much better state to drive, but I probably could have at least stayed on the road. _

_ “Shut up, girl!” _

_ “DAD! LOOK OUT!” I tried to steer away from the small cliff off the side of the road my dad was heading towards, but it didn’t help. Our foreheads hit the dashboard and the world went black. I thought I heard my name being called, and the voice sounded familiar, but I was in a dark room and no one, not even my dad, was around. I collapsed and hugged my knees into my chest as I utterly lost any and all control I had had up to this point. I had lost Luke and my own life within hours of each other.  _

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I wanted Luke to play at Caleb’s club so we could be together, but after my conversation with Willie, I didn’t even wanna be here. As much as I hated to admit it, crossing over was the best option for the boys. Willie had discussed a plan with them on how to get into the Orpheum. He asked me to go, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Luke yet. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. I had just gotten him back. And now, he was never going to come back. Willie stayed with me the whole day, both of us sharing tears that two people we loved so dearly were to be taken from us in a few short hours. We never said a word, just held hands and sat in silence, an occasional sniffle breaking through. We didn’t know how long we’d been then until we heard Caleb’s show starting. It was a song neither of us had heard before. Curious, we headed up to the main room, lurking in the back. Neither of us were prepared for what was about to happen on stage. 

Caleb finished a verse and Alex, dressed in a pink blazer and sheer button-down shirt, appeared behind the drum kit, performing a solo. Caleb hissed the drummer’s name, egging him on to show off his drum skills, doing the same when Reggie, hair slicked back and sporting a flame red jacket, performed a solo himself.  _ Please no. Please don’t come out next.  _ My pleas were useless. “Now Luuukkkke, yeah.”  _ Fuck.  _ I didn’t even notice what he was wearing, my eyes immediately drawn to his face. It was a mixture of confusion, anger, and sadness. With every note, every pull of Caleb’s fingers, Luke was resisting. The licks from his fingers on the guitar were good, of course they were and I missed hearing him play, but I didn’t want it like this. I looked at Willie, just to make sure I was actually seeing this, and he nodded towards the wings, implying someone should be there for the boys when they got off. Willie headed that way, me following him, never taking my eyes off Luke. His face had now shifted from one of discomfort and confusion to a somewhat energized face, but it was wrong. It was the same face he got after he performed, when the audience applauded for the band. The people here loved him. He knew it, he loved it, but he knew he didn’t belong here.

The boys and Caleb walked off the stage, meeting up with Willie and I. Caleb smirked at us, chuckling softly as if he knew something we didn’t. “Too bad you worked so hard to play the Orpheum. Twice. But this is where you boys belong. I mean, Luke and Alex, look who’s here.” Caleb poofed behind us, pushing Willie and I into the arms of Alex and Luke. "And Reggie, all your friends are here. Why would any of you leave?" With the stereotypical villain laugh, he disappeared.

“You have to leave. Please. For me.” I wrapped my arms around Luke’s neck, his arms tightening around my waist. He broke apart from me, tears forming in both of our eyes, our hands on the other’s face.

“Me too.” Willie reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand. “Forget about us, about this place. That’s all we want for you.” I nodded, unable to say anything more. Willie had said it perfectly.

“I love you. Always have, always will.” Luke said, looking at me with caring eyes. I moved to Reggie, who had been extremely quiet, wrapping him in a hug, both of us exchanging “I’ll miss you.” The three of us let Alex and Willie have their moment. 

“We’ll distract Caleb. Get to Julie, play the show you never got to.” I didn't know how they'd do that, but Luke had mentioned a sort of connection with Julie and I hoped that would be enough.

“Thanks guys.” Reggie gave us a thumbs up, as Alex began unbuttoning his jacket, exposing the sheerness of his white shirt, and disappeared first. Reggie, now sporting a red vest and black shirt, was the next to go. Luke could not get his coat off fast enough, his collar unbuttoned and now just wearing the vest from underneath his coat. 

“Hey,” I said, “You look really good in that suit, by the way.” Luke grabbed my waist, I ruffled his hair, he pulled me in for one last kiss. “I know,” he replied, smiling his perfect dorky smile. He flickered out, but came back shortly after. 

“Come with us. I can’t leave you here.”

“No, Luke. Go!” He flickered, then came back.

“Please, Lottie.” He kept coming in and out.

“Luke, Caleb owns me, he doesn’t own you. Julie needs you. Please go!” I pushed him away, and thankful he didn’t come back, my eyes welling up with tears.

"What did you do?" Caleb was clenching his jaw.

“You’re not going to hurt them again. Julie is playing with them, her connection with them is stronger than you thought, I guess.” Willie answered Caleb, picking up that I couldn’t respond.

Caleb’s eyes flickered with fire, and tried to summon the boys with various flicks of hands, but no such luck. An evil smile appeared on his face. “No matter. They’re done for anyway. But you two, for disobeying me, have lost your privileges. William, no more skating. And Charlotte, you’ve been very quiet. Better get used to it.”

I gave him a confused look, and opened my mouth, but no sounds came out.  _ He took my voice.  _

“You ass…” Before Willie could finish, Caleb flicked his wrist and we were transported to my dressing room. 

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A few days had passed and Willie and I hadn’t even tried escaping the Hollywood Ghost Club. One day, Dante, Caleb’s right hand, flung open the door.

“Have either or you seen Caleb?” I shrugged. Willie shook his head. “Crap. No one has seen him since…” Dante looked at us both, then a panicked expression came over his face.

“Since when?” Willie squared himself against Dante. “What are you not telling us?” I got up and peered over Willie’s shoulder. Even though I had no menacing words to say, I was still pretty good at intimidating stares.

“Um, since the night...the night the boys crossed over.”

“Why would Caleb care about that day? They’re gone, he can’t hurt them.”

“Oh well” Dante cleared his throat, “Caleb still wants them because, well, they didn’t cross over.” Willie spun around to face me, his mouth wide open, mimicking mine.

“We have to warn them.” Willie grabbed Dante by the collar. “What else do you know?”

✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻✻

A girl with big, curly hair was sitting on a piano bench, pencil in her hand, hunched over writing something down in a notebook. A boy, orange beanie covering his shaggy brown hair was strumming some chords on a guitar, biceps bulging with every strum. Neither of them looked up at Willie and I, our mouths completely open and utterly speechless. Well, I was always speechless, but this was new to Willie.

The girl, who I assumed to be Julie, broke the silence. “Ok, so it’s not done yet, but tell us what you think, Flynn.” Who the hell was Flynn?

She started singing and  _ fuck _ she was good. Better than good. I could see why Luke wanted to get back and make music with her. Oh crap, there’s that jealousy again. Then she stopped.

“Who are you?” Luke stopped playing and shot Julie a confused look, then turned his eyes towards the visitors he invited in.

“Lottie? Willie? No fucking way!” Luke almost dropped his guitar, then realizing what was happening, gently placed it back on its stand, then bounded over to us. He fist bumped Willie, remarking how happy Alex would be to see him. Then he came to me, just standing in front of me, taking me in.

“Oh,” Julie piped in, “so this is the  _ famous  _ Lottie.”

“Yeah,” Luke breathed out, “this is her. You got out.”

I closed my mouth, replacing the wide “o” shape I was making with a smile. I just stared at him for a minute, but then I noticed his confused and concerned look. I nudged Willie, indicating towards Luke.

“Oh yeah. Sorry, Lottie.” Luke looked over to Willie, equally confused. “Um, the night you crossed over, erm, supposed to cross over, Caleb punished us. He took away my skating privileges and then, he took away Lottie’s voice. We’ve been trapped in the club since then.”

“Oh my God. That’s awful!” Julie responded. Luke turned around to look at her and nodded.

“Lottie, I…” I put a finger over his lips and shook my head. I gestured to Willie again.

“Caleb knows you guys didn’t cross over and he still wants you in his band. He possessed one of Julie’s friends to get closer to you. Someone named Nick.”

“Ugh not Nick. See, Julie, told you he was bad news.”

“You never liked Nick. You didn’t know he was being possessed.”

“I knew he was never good enough for you.” He spun around to me, eyes wide. “There is nothing going on between me and Julie.” My smile was wide, and I shook my head.

“Trust me. The way he talks about you, a girl would be stupid to try to get in the middle of that.”  _ Good _ I mouthed. For the first time, Luke smiled a somewhat normal smile. 

“Ok, so what are we gonna do about Nick?” Almost as if he could feel Julie’s eyes bearing into the back of his head, Luke corrected himself. “Sorry, Caleb possessing Nick and trying to get us in his band again?”

“Caleb is possessing Nick and he knows we didn’t cross over?” Reggie asked, popping into Julie’s studio.

“Willie!” Alex ran over to Willie and the two of them were wrapped around each other, their heads buried in the other’s shoulder. “Aww” filled the room.

Willie broke from the hug, putting some distance between him and Alex, hands on his shoulders. “Why didn’t you guys cross over? And the stamps? What happened?”

“Julie saved us.” Luke answered. We all looked at Julie, the girl blushing at the sudden attention. “She hugged us, didn’t pass through us, and the stamps kinda floated away. We’ve been able to touch since then. And sometimes, other people can see us.” Julie had been scanning all our faces, but stopped when she reached me. I walked over to her, not really knowing what I was doing, but I had to try. I extended my arms towards her, and she happily accepted. She was a little shorter than me, but it was like hugging a friend. I started crying. This girl saved Luke, Alex, and Reggie and I was hoping maybe she could save me too. I opened my mouth, trying to thank her, but there was still no noise.

She looked at me and as if she understood, she simply responded with a “You’re welcome.” Luke came over and took my hand. He turned his head towards me, my eyes meeting his. 

“We’re gonna figure this out. I promise.” He pressed his lips to my cheek and I wiped the tears from my face with my sleeve.

“Sorry, but I think we’re missing something. Lottie is being uncharacteristically quiet.”

“Caleb took her voice away, Alex. He also took away Willie’s ability to skate freely.”

“That’s not ok!” Reggie exclaimed.

“That’s why I haven’t seen you around.” Alex hadn’t let go of Willie’s hand since their hug ended. They were so damn cute.

“So, guys, what’s the plan?”

“No way, Julie. You’re not getting involved in this.” Luke dropped my hand and stood in front of Julie. I could tell he was sternly looking at her by the same stern expression on her face.

“Nick is my friend. If he’s in trouble, I’m gonna help him. And you guys are my band, my family, so I’m helping you.” She looked from Luke to me, expression softening. “And besides, I want to hear Lottie sing.” Luke, letting his shoulders fall, let out a sigh. Facing us again, he let his lips curl into a small smile.

“Me too. Wait til you hear her, Jules. Maybe we can sing our song for them, Lottie?” This boy, what did I do to deserve him? I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. I ran over to him and he enveloped me in a tight hug.  _ I love you, Luke. God, why didn’t I tell you sooner? _

“Alright folks.” Willie took charge of the situation. “Let’s figure out how to get rid of Caleb once and for all.” 

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“Ok, so sorta-Nick is coming over to ‘study’ with Julie.” Luke looked at the clock in the studio. “Actually, he should be here any minute. Reg, you go with Julie, just in case.” Reggie nodded and poofed out of the studio. Julie’s dad and brother were out for the day, leaving Julie alone in the house with Caleb. Willie offered to be on Julie duty, but Alex suggested it would be better if Willie and I stayed as hidden from Caleb as much as possible. For all he knew, we were still trapped at the club. And we were, sometimes. Because Caleb cursed us at the club, we could only leave for short stretches before we were pulled back.

“And the rest of us, what are we looking for exactly?” Alex was referring to something Willie had mentioned. Caleb’s power came from something and if we found that, maybe we could destroy him. It was a stretch, but with Caleb being distracted, this was the time.

“When we get there,” Willie began, “search everywhere. Whatever is holding his power, it is not going to be obvious.”

“You’re sure he doesn’t have it with him now?” Luke brought up a good point.

“No, when he’s possessing someone, he can only bring a small amount of his power and he’s probably preserving it for whatever he is planning for you guys. If he needs more, he has to go back to the club. A kind of recharge. But since no one has seen him since Orpheum night, he still has enough power to accomplish whatever he’s planning.” I had a lump in my throat. Even a little bit of Caleb’s power was a lot. Luke, thank goodness, spoke my concern.

“Ok, but he still has that little bit of power, he can still do a lot with that. How do we get rid of that?”

Knowing the question came from me, Willie stared at me. “Lottie, Caleb has our power, not even his own. My freedom to skate, your voice, both of our souls.” Alex and Luke winced at his words. “That’s how he gains power. He takes it from others. When he stamped you guys,” looking over at Alex and Luke, “the reason you were flickering, getting those jolts, he was thriving off the energy you were losing. In taking his power, we can essentially free every soul he’s stolen from.” 

Luke grinned, his brow furrowing. “What are we waiting for? Let’s destroy this son of a bitch.” He grabbed my hand and his determination, although a bit of a turn-on, was terrifying. “Ready?” He looked at me, scanning my face for confirmation. My eyes locked on his and I nodded. I watched Alex and Willie poof out, felt Luke’s tug on my arm, and then watched him poof out. Without me. I stayed in the garage. Something, or rather, someone pulled me back. 

“Hi, Charlotte…” A preppy blonde boy was standing in the studio. He started to walk towards me, reaching down to his neck to show me the chain he wore. He stopped in front of me, showing me the pendant that was on the chain. “Missing this? What a shame to hide this from the world.” _ What kind of Ursula the Sea Witch shit was this?  _

“Get away from her, Caleb.” As Nick spun around, Caleb revealed himself to Luke, coming back from the club empty handed.

“I don’t think I will.” Almost like he was using the force, Caleb clenched his fingers, and I began shaking, as Caleb lifted me slightly off the ground. I shot my eyes to the pendant on Caleb’s chest and Luke followed them, his eyes getting wide. “Oh this? Yes well, I’m actually glad you’re here, Luke.” He fiddled with the pendant with his free hand. “I have a proposition for you.”

“I don’t want to make any deal with you. Get the fuck out of here and let Lottie down.”

“I think you might reconsider. See I can either let Lottie die...well die again, much like those jolts almost did to you, and I keep her voice. Or, I give her voice back, as well as her freedom, if you come join my band.” I was shocked, even though I knew I probably shouldn’t be. I tried to call out to Luke, knowing it’d be in vain. Luke sighed, knowing it was useless to fight. I would never want him to, but I knew he would put me above himself every time. He reached his hand out to Caleb to seal the deal, as I fell to the ground.

“Luke Patterson!” I yelled and Luke jerked his gaze from Caleb to me. He rushed over to me, cupping his hands on my cheeks. “It’s been 25 years and I’m sorry because I knew I loved…” and then the words stopped. I pressed my fingertips to my throat, much like Ariel getting her voice back.

“What the fuck. Let her speak, I’ll go with you. Give her voice back! You have me!”

“I...didn’t take it back. I never gave it back to her.” Caleb looked confused, looking down at the pendant, the previous glow now decreasing. The power he had was draining.

“I had to tell you, because I thought it was my last chance. Sorry, I got nervous.” Luke looked relieved, chuckling.

Caleb, still reeling from his power drain, walked over to Luke and I, as Luke pushed me behind him. Only the two of us could see Willie and Alex poof in behind Caleb, holding a magician’s wand. “You two have been a thorn in my side for the last time. I should have locked you in your dressing room that night, taken your voice that day I picked you up. And Luke, your talent is just a nuisance now and I’m over you.” He lifted his arm, as if he were about to strike a blow, until Willie yelled his name from behind. Caleb shot around, eyes getting wide as he saw the wand, as well as Reggie and Julie joining Willie and Alex. Before he could utter a word, the four of them placed their hands on the wand, using all their force to try and break it. It cracked, but it needed one more snap. Without a word, I poofed over to the group, yanking it away, and walked directly up to Caleb, who was shaking on the floor.

“This is for all the crap you’ve put me through. I’m so fucking tired of men lying to me and manipulating me. I’m over you and I hate you. Say hi to my dad, asshole.” I placed my hands on the two ends of the wand and with all my strength, snapped it in half. Caleb disappeared and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I turned to look at Willie, his eyes meeting mine and I knew he felt the same. We ran to each other, he lifted me off the ground, spinning me around in a tight embrace. We laughed and when he placed me back down, we tucked our faces into each other’s shoulders, crying at our new found freedom. We broke apart, our hands on each other’s faces.  _ Go,  _ we silently told each other. He went back to Alex, who enveloped him in what I can only assume was a fantastic hug. I went to Luke.

“That was pretty badass.” He looked at me completely awestruck. He tried to regain his composure. “Um, what were you saying earlier?”

“I loved you that night you ran away from home. After you left, I wrote that song. I was always afraid to tell you how I felt. I wanted to say it to you at Orpheum. I wanted to say it to you the night at Caleb’s club. I never want to stop saying it. I  _ fucking  _ love you, and I can’t believe it has taken me 25 years to say it. I love you.” A chorus of “awws” filled the room and Luke extended the finger to all of them.

“That’s our cue to leave.” Reggie remarked.

“You think?” Julie answered. The three boys poofed out, as Julie awkwardly walked out the studio doors. “Um, just remember this is my mom’s studio. Treat it with respect.” Luke and I shared an embarrassed, but cocky, look. 

“So, you love me, huh? Like loved me for a while?”

“Yeah. What are you gonna do about it?” A playful smile tugged at his mouth and his lips crashed into mine. His hands were on my waist, pulling me closer into him. My hands were running through his hair, him moaning into my lips, and I couldn’t help a laugh escaping my mouth.

“Lottie,” he breathed, “you’re not being fair.” He bit my bottom lip and I shrieked.

“You’re one to talk.”

“Just payback. I have waited 25 long years…”

“Are you going to hold that over me forever?” He put his lips on mine again and I felt his smile in the kiss.

“You better believe it, babe.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this for a while and I think I'm really proud of it? Anyway, thanks for reading my personal projection into the world of JATP. I'd love to read your comments and leave kudos if you enjoyed it.


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